Flush valve



Patented `lune 10, 1941 UNITED sr T E S NIL-1 'r FFICE 6 Claims.

'I'his invention relates toiiusrh valves, vand has for its object the provision of a flush valve that will possess advantages over any other prior valve of which I am aware. More specifically, it is my object to produce a flush valve in which the valveopening is positively effected by manipulation of the control member. A further obiect of my invention is to produce a valve which, when closed, will be held closed by fluid pressure but in which the valve-closing pressure will not interfere with ready opening of the valve. Still another object of my invention is to produce an improved timing device for a flush valve.

In carrying out my invention, I form the valve with a hollow casing having inlet and outlet openings, and between these openings I provide a partition over which liquid can ow from one to the other. The valve member is in the form of a flexible diaphragm overlying such partition and operating when closed to prevent the flow of liquid thereover. The opposite side of the valve is exi posed to a pressurev chamber communicating through a restricted opening with the inlet of the valve casing. 'Ihe restricted opening is provided in a movable member which may be displaced by excess pressure in the pressure chamber, and which, when so displaced opens an unrestricted by-pass between the pressure chamber and the inlet of the valve casing to providea path of escape for liquid displaced from the pressure chamber by valve-opening movement.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is an axial section through the valve; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figfl but illustrating a modied construction; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

The valve illustrated in the drawing comprises a hollow body or casing I having an inlet opening II and an outlet opening I2. At one side of the casing, the passage between the inlet and outlet openings is defined by a grid I3 having a multiplicity of openings I4; A partition I5 extending across the valve casing between the grid I3 and the opposite wall of the casing serves to prevent iiow from the inlet opening II to the outlet opening I2 except by way of the grid-openings I4.

In the assembled valve, the grid I3 is covered by a valve member I6 in the form of a disk of rubber or other resilient material desirably with its central portion stifi'ened. The stiiening may be obtained by using a metal insert, which may also provide a bearing boss for engagement by the operating member described below. The valve member is held in place by a cover I'I which engages the valve member at its'periphery but which is spaced outwardly from the central portion of the valve member to denne a pressure chamber I8. The capy II is provided with a passage I9 providing communication between the inlet opening II and the pressure chamber I8 through an opening 2| in the wall of the latter. In normal condition, the opening 2| is closed by a movable valve member 22, conveniently in the form of a cup the bottom surface of which lis covered with a washer of resilient material overlying the outer end of the opening 2l. This washer may be held in place by a screw 23.

The timing of the valve is vcontrolled by the effective area of a passage, conveniently a passage extending axially through the screw 23, which connects the 'chamber I8 with the interior of the cup 22. This cup is arranged, as by providing its side wall with an annular series of openings 25, so that its.l interior will Yalways communicate with the passage I9. A spring 2B acting against the outer face of the valve I6 tends to hold it seated on the grid I3, A vsimilar spring 21 acting on the cup 22 serves normally to hold it seated over the opening 2 I in which condition the only path of communication between the inlet opening II and the chamber I8 is by way of the axial passage in the screw 23. g l

It Will be apparent froml the construction asso far described that with the opening 2 I closed and with the same iiuid pressure acting on both sides of the valve disk ,Iii that disk will be iirrnly held against the grid I3 by reason of the fact that fluid pressure in the chamber I8 acts over the entire area of the valve while fluid pressure on the opposite face of the valve acts only over the area of the openings I4 in the grid. `The spring 25 assists in normallyholding the valve against the grid. If the .valve is A,moved away from its seat on the grid I3, however, liquid can flow through the openings I4 on the inlet side of the partition I5, into the space rbetween .the grid I3 and the valve member IB, and thence through the other openings I4 in the grid to the outlet opening I2.

, This movement of the valve I6 from the grid I3,

however, will require displacement of liquid from the chamber I8. 'Such displaced Iliquid forces the cup 22 from its seat over the opening 2l and escapes by way of the passage I9; As soon as the displacement of the liquidirom the chamber I8 is complete, the spring 21 -seats the cup 22 to close the opening 2I. The valve I6, howeverycan not return to` its seat except asliqnid entersthe chamber I8 through the restricted passage in the screw 23, and the size of this passage therefore controls the length of the period during which the Valve remains open. As soon as sufficient liquid has entered the chamber I8 through the restricted passage in the screw 23, the valve I will engage the face of the grid I3, closing the openings I4 and preventing further discharge of liquid.

The means employed to move the valve I6 from its seat on the grid I3 may take different forms. In the form illustrated, I provide an actuating member 30 which extends through a suitable guide from the valve member I6 across the casing into association with a flexible diaphragm 3! The opposite side of the diaphragm 3I is engaged by a plunger 32 that can be moved inwardly by an operating handle 33. Conveniently, the diaphragm 3| is supported against liquid pressure within the valve casing by means of a rigid disk 35 which may also serve as a bearing or support for the inner end of the plunger 32. A spring 36 acting between the plunger 32 and the disk 35 serves yieldingly to hold the plunger 32 retracted and to maintain the handle 33 in its normal position.

To transmit force from the plunger 32 to the actuating member 30, the diaphragm 3| desirably carries at its center a thrust member 31 of metal or other rigid material. The thrust member 3'I may be held in place in the diaphragm by providing it with an external annular ange which is embedded in the diaphragm when it is made.

The handle 33 is mounted by means of a head 43 received within the cylinder in which the plunger 32 rides and behind an inwardly projecting rim 44. Movement of the handle 33 tilts the head 43 about a point of support aiorded by the rim 44, to move an opposite portion of such head against the plunger 32, to force such plunger inwardly. To supply lubricant between the engaging faces of the head 43 and plunger 32, a cavity 45 in the flat central portion of the head 43 is packed with absorbent material saturated 7 with lubricant. Movement of the plunger will be transmitted through the thrust member 3'I and actuating member 30 to the valve I 6, forcing such valve from its seat with the result above described.

The valve illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 operates in the same way as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the valve of Figs. 3 and 4, however, the grid I3 and partition I5 are omitted and the valve I6 seats against a valve-seat 40 deningthe inlet opening of a passage 4I which communicates with the outlet opening I2 of the casing I0.

I claim as my invention:

l. A flush Valve, comprising a hollow body having spaced inlet and outlet openings, a partition extending across the interior of said body between said inlet and outlet openings, one side wall of said body having a plane outer surface and being provided with openings therethrough on opposite sides of said partition to form a grille, a cover for said grille, a valve disk of flexible material interposed between said grille and cover and seating upon the grille, said cover being spaced from said valve-disk over the center portion thereof to define a pressure chamber, said cover being provided with a passage affording communication between said pressure chamber and the interior of said body on the inlet side of said partition, a valve member disposed in said passage and movable toward said chamber to close, a restricted passage through said valve member, means biasing said valve member toward closed position, and means for forcing said valve disk from its seat on said grille.

2. A flush valve, comprising a hollow body having spaced inlet and outlet openings, a partition extending across the interior of said body between said inlet and outlet openings, one side wall of said body having a plane outer surface and being provided with openings therethrough on opposite sides of said partition to form a grille, a cover for said grille, a valve disk of flexible material interposed between said grille and cover and seating upon the grille, said cover being spaced from said valve-disk over the center portion thereof to define a pressure chamber, said cover being provided with a passage aording communication between said pressure chamber and the interior of said body on the inlet side of said partition, a check-valve in said passage opening away from said chamber, a restricted by-pass communicating with said passage and chamber on opposite sides of said check valve, and means for forcing said valve disk from its seat on said grille.

3. A flush valve, comprising a hollow body having spaced inlet and outlet openings, a partition extending across the interior of said body between said inlet and outlet openings, one side wall of said body being provided with openings therethrough on opposite sides of said partition to form a grille, a cover for said grille, an imperforate valve disk of flexible material seating upon the grille, the peripheral portion of said valve disk being interposed between said grille and cover, those portions of said side wall which are respectively provided with openings and engaged by the peripheral portion of said valve disk being in the same plane, said valve disk being normally flat so as to be unstressed when seated upon said grille, said cover being spaced from said valve-disk over the center portion thereof to .denne a pressure chamber, said cover being provided with a passage aiTording communication between said pressure chamber and the interior of said body on the inlet side of said partition, means regulating the rate of fluid ow through said passage toward said chamber, and mechanical means for forcing said valve disk from its seat on said grille, irrespective and independently of fluid pressure on opposite sides of said valve disk.

4. In a flush valve, a hollow body having inlet and outlet openings, said body being provided with a pressure chamber, a valve seat, an imperforate valve-forming diaphragm partially dening said chamber and movable by uid-pressure therein into contact with said valve seat to prevent flow from said inlet opening to said outlet opening, said body being provided with a passage aifording communication between said inlet opening and said chamber, a check valve in said passage opening away from said chamber, a restricted by-pass communicating with said passage and said chamber on opposite sides of said check valve, and manually operated mechanical means engaging said diaphragm near the center thereof for positively forcing it away from said valve seat, irrespective and independently of fluid pressures on opposite sides of said diaphragm.

5. In a flush valve, a hollow body having inlet and outlet openings, said body being provided with a pressure chamber, a valve seat, an imy perforate valve-forming diaphragm partially dedning said chamber and movable by uid-pressure therein into contact with said valve seat to prevent flow from said inlet opening to said outlet opening, a valve-operating member secured to said diaphragm near the center thereof and extending through said valve seat, a second ilexible diaphragm disposed adjacent the end of said valve-operating member, a thrust-transmitting element carried by said second diaphragm near the center thereof in position to engage the adjacent end of said valve-operating member, and a manually operated actuating member disposed in line with said valve-operating member and said thrust-transmitting element on the opposite side of said diaphragm from said valve-operating member and movable to engage said thrusttransmitting element to move it and said valveoperating member and lift the valve-forming diaphragm from its seat.

6. In a flush valve, a hollow body having inlet and outlet openings, said body being provided with a pressure chamber, a valve seat, an imperforate valve-forming diaphragm partially defining said chamber and movable by huid-pressure therein into contact with said valve seat to prevent flow from said inlet opening to said outlet opening, a valve-operating member secured to said diaphragm near the center thereof and extending through said valve seat, a second ilexible diaphragm disposed adjacent the end of said Valve-operating member, a thrust-transmitting element carried by said second diaphragm near the center thereof in position to engage the adjacent end of said valve-operating member, and means for moving said thrust-transmitting element toward said valve-operating member for lifting the valve-forming diaphragm from its seat.

HUGH HILL. 

